Freshwater Competence Centre is one of the 21 selected Water-Oriented living labs in the ATLAS of WOLLs edition 2024
On May 22nd 2024, the new Atlas of Water-Oriented Living Labs (WOLLs) was successfully released at the Water4All Partnership event during the World Water Forum in Bali. To be in the atlas is not only a matter of signing up – The methodology utilised for evaluating the maturity of submitted WOLL candidates relies on a comprehensive assessment tool developed by Water Europe.
Article image: Jari Silander & Anna-Kaisa Ronkanen from Finnish Environment Institute with Andrea Rubini from Water Europe, and the laser scanner from the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, an important part of the Freshwater Competence Centre research infrastructure! Photo from Tulanet Infrastructure day in 2023 by Annukka Pekkarinen
What are Water-Oriented Living labs (WOLLs), and the Atlas?
The first ATLAS was published in 2019. The current definition of Water Europe for the WOLLs are:
“real-life,water- oriented and demo-type and platform-type environments with a cross-sector nexus approach, which involve and commit multiple stakeholders (including water authorities) and provide a ‘field lab’ to develop, test, and validate a combination of solutions as defined in the WE Vision, which include technologies, their integration as well as combination with new business models and innovative policies based on the value of water”
So essentially, WOLLs could be infrastructures, test facilities, field research platforms or stations – as long as they fulfil the certain evaluation and quality criteria. And we are proud to say our Freshwater Competence Centre does! During the last few years we have been able to compile an impressive hydrological research infrastructure, funded by the European Union – NextGeneration EU through our project Hydro-RI-Platform.
Through the publication of the ATLAS and subsequent documentation, Water4All Partnership aims to provide instrumental resources and guidelines for WOLLs to align their efforts to contribute securing water for all – fostering synergies and facilitating collaboration within the water sector.
Freshwater Competence Centre – WOLL Introduction
The Freshwater Competence Centre (FWCC) is at the vanguard of hydrological and geospatial research in the boreal and subarctic realms, dedicated to unraveling the complexities of water systems from their origins to the sea. As a hub for advancing green and digital transitions in water management, FWCC integrates emerging technologies with traditional knowledge, fostering innovation and education in the water sector. With aspirations to join the European Research Infrastructure Roadmap by 2030 and to craft the first Finnish Living Water Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda by 2025, FWCC is setting the stage for groundbreaking advancements. It offers a robust research infrastructure and a platform for networking and innovation support, aiming to enhance efficiency, attract talent, and stimulate collaboration. Through engagement with a wide array of stakeholders, FWCC is supporting digital representations of water systems, shaping the future of water resource management, and sustainable use of water resources, contributing significantly to global water stewardship efforts.
“The Freshwater Competence Centre strives to establish itself as the premier hub for scientific research, education, infrastructure development, and the promotion of green and digital transitions in freshwater ecosystems.“ Freshwater Competence Centre PI Petteri Alho
Direct download link of atlas: https://www.water4all-partnership.eu/media/318/download
More information about the publishing on Water Europe Website: https://watereurope.eu/the-new-water4allpartnership-atlas-of-water-oriented-living-labs-released-at-the-world-water-forum/